Premier fobs off early poll whispers

The Tasmanian Premier is insisting there are no plans to call an early election, as her minority government struggles to revive the state economy.

The latest outlook from Deloitte Access Economics says Tasmania's economic indicators are "awash in a sea of red ink" and any growth hinges on a fall in the Australian dollar.

The report also says it is hard to find any areas of growth, the total value of engineering construction works has hit its lowest level in 10 years and the pace of spending has nosedived.

Shadow Treasurer Peter Gutwein says Tasmania is lagging in all economic indicators compared with other states facing the same pressures.

"We're the one state that's going backwards on the majority of indicators and the reason being is that this Green-Labor minority government is failing the state," Mr Gutwein said.

The Premier, Lara Giddings, rejects the comparison, saying the Deloitte outlook shows the big issues affecting the economy are out of her government's control.

But the Premier says she readily acknowledges that more needs to be done to strengthen the economy, and the $25 million jobs package is a good start.

"We've obviously got some challenging times that we've had to face and the best way that we can work through those is together and through stimulus like this that we're providing through the jobs package."

The ABC has been told the State Government is considering going to the polls early, weighing up two dates later in the year.

But Ms Giddings says there are no plans for an election in 2013.

"The only Government going to an election in 2013 is the Federal Government, the state election is not due until March 2014 and that's what we're aiming to go to," the Premier said.

Greens leader Nick McKim has also dismissed suggestions of an early state election.

Mr McKim says the Premier has made it clear there will be no early poll.

"You only have to look through historic wreckages in electoral terms to see that people will punish governments that don't go full term and I truly believe that people generally want to see governments go full term, and they want their politicians to do the job they were elected to do, and to do it for the life of the parliament."

Jobs package spend

The Premier travelled to Devonport to announce a round of spending from the jobs package to upgrade neighbourhood houses throughout the state.

"With the $2 million program, we expect to see about 30 jobs created across the state," she said.

"It's part of a larger package designed to inject life into Tasmania's struggling economy."

Some of the money will be spent on improving the kitchen at the Devonport Community House.

The centre's manager, Kate Beer, says the house is a meeting place for people who are often from low socio-economic backgrounds.

"They're bit more of a home-type atmosphere than a commercial kitchen or even an education-type atmosphere, so that's a real bonus for us so that we're able to attract the people that actually are harder to get into your service generally."

"So that's what we are really hoping for," she said.

The Government's pre-election budget is now less than four months away.